Man who developed psychosis after being jailed on indefinite term moved to hospital Family of Thomas White, who has been in prison for 13 years, say IPP sentence is ‘psychiatric abuse’ The Guardian - UK · Jun 24, 2025
Hope for end to ‘cruel experiment’ of indefinite jail terms that have seen phone thieves trapped for up to 20 years Exclusive: Top justice experts urge government to finally end IPP sentences with a string of new measures The Independent UK · Jun 21, 2025
Desperate father who set himself alight while serving 13 years in jail for stealing a phone finally moving to hospital Trapped under an abolished IPP jail term, Thomas White was driven to schizophrenia and psychosis. For the past year, The Independent has documented his tragic case – now he is finally being transferred to hospital following a six-year family campaign The Independent UK · Jun 19, 2025
‘It’s a scandal’: Fury as inmates trapped on indefinite jail terms excluded from scheme to free up prison space Exclusive: Seven in 10 recalled IPP prisoners have committed no further crime but are held for more than two years on average. Releasing them would free up a prison, but they have been left out of the government’s scheme to reduce the recall population The Independent UK · May 18, 2025
Revealed: The staggering cost of detaining prisoners on ‘inhumane’ jail terms – and you’re paying for it Exclusive: Locking up IPP prisoners cost £145m in 2024, on top of an estimated £1.6bn spent since the cruel sentence was abolished, analysis shows The Independent UK · Apr 20, 2025
‘Scandal hidden in plain sight’: Death toll of abolished jail term climbs to 94 after fresh wave of self-inflicted deaths in prison Exclusive: Prisoners trapped under indefinite jail terms continuing to take their own lives, say campaigners, as government resists calls to re-sentence them The Independent UK · Mar 14, 2025
Father in jail for 13 years for stealing a phone suffers crisis which leaves him smashing face on floor Exclusive: A crunch meeting will decide if IPP prisoner Thomas White will finally be transferred to a secure hospital after a rapid deterioration inside HMP Manchester The Independent UK · Mar 4, 2025
‘I stole a mobile phone almost 20 years ago – I’ve spent half my life in prison’ Exclusive: Leroy Douglas is begging for his freedom, describing his IPP jail term as ‘cripplingly cruel’ as he languishes in prison with no hope of release The Independent UK · Feb 16, 2025
UN torture tsar attacks UK over ‘inhumane’ indefinite jail terms Exclusive: The UN special rapporteur on torture has warned the British government is ‘very likely’ breaching IPP prisoners’ human rights The Independent UK · Feb 8, 2025
Father on indefinite jail term for stealing phone has ‘lost hope’ after being denied hospital transfer Thomas White’s MP James Frith has backed The Independent’s campaign for all IPP prisoners to have their sentences reviewed after visiting HMP Manchester The Independent UK · Feb 7, 2025
Father who set himself alight on indefinite jail term refused hospital care as family loses hope Exclusive: IPP prisoner Thomas White, who has developed paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis after serving almost 13 years for stealing a phone, will not be transferred to hospital The Independent UK · Jan 3, 2025
Jailed without hope: Ministers block 128 prisoners on indefinite jail terms from moving to open conditions Exclusive: The British government refused to allow IPP prisoners to progress to an open prison in 61 per cent of cases over the past 12 months, figures show The Independent UK · Dec 28, 2024
Resentencing of prisoners trapped under indefinite jail terms not ‘adequately explored’, committee warns The justice committee says ministers ‘may have misunderstood’ their advice and urged them to look again at establishing a resentencing committee for thousands of IPP prisoners The Independent UK · Nov 29, 2024
Family urges Streeting to help prisoner who set himself alight after serving 12 years for stealing phone IPP prisoner Thomas White’s family have begged for Wes Streeting to intervene as they fight for him to be moved to hospital The Independent UK · Nov 27, 2024
The Independent UK · Nov 15, 2024 ‘Don’t be on wrong side of history’: Indefinite jail terms compared to Post Office and Infected Blood scandals Supporters say the government’s response to the ‘industrial-scale miscarriage of justice’ is not good enough, and praised The Independent for highlighting the issue
The Independent UK · Nov 9, 2024 Stop scaremongering over prisoners trapped by indefinite jail terms, ministers told Exclusive: Fight for indefinitely held IPP prisoners continues as the UN calls for partial resentencing, warning ‘we cannot allow more people to take their lives out of a lack of action’
The Independent UK · Nov 6, 2024 Fishmongers’ Hall hero warns of more IPP prisoner suicides as he is finally freed from indefinite jail term Marc Conway, who helped tackle a terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest, has backed The Independent’s campaign for all IPP prisoners to have their sentences reviewed
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2024 ‘He’s been punished enough’: Family’s plea for prisoner who set himself alight under indefinite jail term Exclusive: On the day 1,800 released IPP prisoners will finally have their lifetime licence terminated, Thomas White is still fighting for a hospital bed as his mental health deteriorates
The Independent UK · Oct 21, 2024 Indefinite jail terms excluded from flagship sentencing review to end prison overcrowding crisis The plight of 2,734 IPP prisoners, including 700 who have served over 10 years longer than their minimum jail term, will not be considered in a major sentencing review
The Independent UK · Oct 19, 2024 Former top judge demands help for prisoners ‘left to rot’ under ‘morally wrong’ indefinite jail terms Exclusive: John Thomas, who was once Britain’s most senior judge, has said IPP jail terms are ‘inherently unfair’ as he backs The Independent’s call for a review
The Independent UK · Sep 29, 2024 Labour will have ‘blood on its hands’ if it rejects review of indefinite jail terms Exclusive: Peer insists there is still ‘everything to play for’ after government poured cold water on bill to resentence IPP prisoners
The Independent UK · Sep 16, 2024 Early release scheme a ‘slap in face’ to forgotten prisoners languishing on indefinite jail terms Exclusive: Campaigners hit out at ‘missed opportunity’ to right wrongs of IPP sentence as inmates face heartbreak of watching other prisoners being freed early
The Independent UK · Sep 14, 2024 Prisoner who set himself alight after serving 12 years for stealing phone should be in hospital, medics warn Exclusive: Thomas White’s sister begs for him to be moved to hospital after medical reports lay bare devastating toll of indefinite jail term
The Independent UK · Sep 9, 2024 IPP scandal: Call for free vote on bill to end ‘living nightmare’ of indefinite jail terms Lord Blunkett and the chair of Prison Officers Association have backed a private member’s bill for almost 3,000 IPP prisoners to be resentenced
The Independent UK · Aug 21, 2024 ‘Do the right thing’: Pressure mounts on government to resentence prisoners with indefinite terms Exclusive: Sir Bob Neill heaped pressure on Keir Starmer to resentence IPP prisoners after another inmate took his life